The Dispatch - Brady Trucking, Inc.

A Brady Trucking, Inc.
Quarterly Publication
The Dispatch
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A P R I L
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Spring has Arrived
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE
Spring has arrived
1
It Takes Us All
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Chuck Johnson
Vice President/GM
Recognize our military 3
Word Play
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The Land of
Enchantment
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Important Dates 4 Expanding our
Footprint
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Back in the Day
— Part 1
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Our Mission State-
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Did You Know 7 New Hire Training
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A Driver
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A Trucks Perspective
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What’s My Name
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Happy Birthday
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As we shake off the winter blues and prepare for spring, I thought that it would be a great me to look forward to the year ahead. I was recently (early March) in Farmington for mee ngs with the group and as I thought about my drive home to GJ, I decided to take one of the many scenic bypass routes that we are blessed with here in the Rocky Mountain West. Rather than take 550 over Red Mountain (which by the way is also a beau ful drive) or 491 / 191 through Moab, I choose to spend a li le extra me and follow 145 / 141 up through Delores, Naturita and Gateway. What a great early spring choice. It allowed me to reflect on some of the reasons that I choose and enjoy making my living in the transporta on industry. As I drove down along the rivers through those mountain valleys and red rock canyons, I had a real sense of freedom and independence. That feeling of independence is exactly why I enjoy our business. I have always enjoyed going somewhere that I have never been, and more importantly taking a road that I have never traveled. I think that there is some of that in all of us as drivers. That sense of adventure, that desire to explore what is just over the horizon that is what has always made this industry fun to me. I realize that all of the regulatory agencies with all of their rules and requirements have worked to take some of that independence out of our business. Today it is hard not to feel as though big brother is watching our every move. With that said, there is s ll no be er feeling than maneuvering your truck down your favorite stretch of highway, with the scenery of our great country unfolding along both sides of you as you go. Man I love that. I have great expecta ons for this year. Ac vity is up and the demand seems to con nue to grow. We are working hard, both on u liza on, as well as pricing, to help insure that everyone can maximize their earning poten al. While GJ will con nue to struggle, Williston / Farmington / Vernal and Bloomington should have great years. We con nue to look at addi onal market areas as well as expansion through acquisi on. Try not to let the distrac ons of dealing with the requirements of this business outweigh the benefits that it has to offer. We are professionals, we are recognized in the industry as such, let our ac ons and a tude reflect that, and we will con nue to be the Best Transporta on Company in the industry. Thanks for all that you do, and for helping us to make Brady Trucking what it is today. Sincerely, Chuck Page 2 It Takes Us All!
George Patton
Vernal Operations Manager
I met Larry and Jennifer around 1996 when we were both o/o’s, working in Rifle, Colorado. I started with Brady Trucking around 2000-1 when Larry and Jennifer had 5 trucks. It was a wild ride, as back in those days 1 or 2 loads would come through a week. We would draw straws to see who was going to work. We’d let the younger drivers, with small mouths to feed, run the loads. At other mes we would be running VERY LONG DAYS (nights). Larry was dispatching, Jennifer was keeping track of everything else, if my old memory recalls properly. Brady Trucking has grown over the years, as we all know, with lots of new trucks and people. Seven employees to around 200 now. Five trucks to around 150 and 200 plus trailers. Brady Trucking is hands down the best bulk hauler in the western states and probably the en re US. If everyone would take pride in their work, slow down, think about others as well as themselves, we can keep Brady Trucking at the top. With all of you, Brady Trucking achieved the Oil and Gas Trucking Company of 2012. We couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you. Keep up the GREAT work, do what you are supposed to be doing and help each other. Larry and Jen couldn’t do it without you and you couldn’t do it without a lot of help. It takes everyone to accomplish the goals and all the loads. This has been a team effort from the beginning and will connue long a er we are all gone. This last year, we had 38,000 +/-, invoices. I couldn’t do them all by myself and neither could anyone else. If everyone would make sure the paperwork is complete before they are turned in, Roger, Sco , Deni, Lorri, Jada, Obern, myself and anyone else that touches them, would have a lot easier job. Each one of us needs to do our part to ensure that this company succeeds. I enjoy working with each of you, even though I can some mes be a grouch. I will only do what I can to help, and I will try to only do what is best for you and Brady Trucking. E-Logs have been a challenge for some, as well as myself. The future is coming and there is no way that any of us can stop it. I was the biggest opponent of Qualcomm and E-logs but once I saw what it could do to improve the dispatch system, I’m all in. A few years ago, the first me I used the Qualcomm system, I was convinced that it saved at least one life. A vehicle ended up crossways with Rex and in the ditch, dirty side up. Not knowing anything about the system, I picked it up and help was on the way in a minute or two. Wow, what a day. I would like to challenge, each of us to be the best of the best. Keep your equipment clean to avoid unwanted exposure at the POE. Be courteous with everyone you come in contact with. Remember to treat everyone the way you would like to be treated. George A Pa on Vernal Opera ons Manager THE
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Page 3 BOBNICOL
Served 1990‐2011 Including OEF/OIF Thank you for your service! Word Play “Fractured” State Capitals Coming up with the Capital City isn’t too hard, but what state is it in? 1. Sack crumb minnow 6. Tip peek caw 2. Medicine 7. Mint peel layer 3. Coal yumpy yaw 8. Dough fur 4. Coarse sun se ee 9. Cull loom buzz 5. Ellen gnaw 10. Shawl stun (Answers on page 10) Page 4 The Land of Enchantment
Terry Sterrett
Farmington Operations Manager
Farmington is one of the most diverse areas in the country; New Mexico the Land of Enchantment and from the high mountains of the San Juans to the Badlands of the Bis , tall ponderosa pines to barren wastelands. But not only in physical feaOpportunity.
tures, Farmington is also rich in the history of the West, both old and new. The ruins of the Ancient Ones, the Anasazi are sca ered throughout the area, the stories of outlaws and buried treasures are frequent topics of discussion, Then came the oil and gas booms , the first in the 1920’s. The ques on many people are asking today “Are we headed into another boom”. We, at Brady Trucking believe we are. We’ve invested in the new facility, new storage tanks and scales, new fuel system, many new trucks and a con nue flow of fresh ideas. It’s exci ng to see our growth in this area, not only for ourselves but the local community also. Many of the city officials and local business people say they are given fresh hope in a down economy when they see our dedica on to the area and enthusiasm for the future. But this enthusiasm can only be accomplished by the vision and hard work from every member of this team. Drivers, mechanics, secretaries, managers, execu ves and owners, to you all I say “Thank You.” Is the Boom coming?? Sure it is, we will make it come. Important Dates to Remember April 1st—April Fools!! 15th — Passover 18th — Good Friday 20th — Easter 22nd —Earth Day 23rd — Admin Assistant’s Day
THE
DISPATCH
May 1st—Brady moves into new Corp. office-2009 11th — Mothers Day 12th— Brady opens Williston, ND-2011 15th — Brady opens Bloomington, IL -2013 17th — Armed Forces Day 26th — Memorial Day June 14th — Flag Day 15th — Fathers Day 21st — June Sols ce V O L U M E
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Expanding our Footprint
Tony Spafford
Williston Operations Manager
I am Tony Spafford, the Opera ons Manager in North Dakota for Brady Trucking. I’ve worked for Brady Trucking for one year, bringing with me a lot of experience from another frac sand trucking company. I chose Brady Trucking because of their reputa on for ge ng the job done and taking care of its employees. Since coming to Williston three years ago, we have seen our opera on grow to 52 Trucks. This number is going to con nue to grow as our customer base con nues to grow. We’re currently working with two main customers Halliburton and Baker Hughes. Halliburton is our largest customer in the Bakken and we are currently cover two frac crews for them. For Baker Hughes we are covering one frac crew. All three of these crews operate 24 hours a day 7 days a week. This means that our opera on has to func on the same. With a 24 hour dispatch group we are able to ensure loads are covered and our customers can communicate there needs to us no ma er the me of day. Our shop also operates 24 hours a day with an on call mechanic that is available to our drivers at all mes. This also means that we have to have facili es for the drivers to be able to operate. Our drivers lounge is built for this purpose; it has a full kitchen with all the appliances of home. With a TV room the drivers can enjoy a movie and relax. We’ve built a full size laundry room that is equipped with four washers and four driers. Last and some would say most importantly, it is equipped with four full size private bathrooms. We want the drivers to feel at home while they are away from their families and homes. This is one of the unique things about Williston; we have drivers from all over the country. From Washington State to Florida, they each live in the trucks they are assigned. Our fleet consists of 2012 and newer Peterbuilt trucks, each equipped with an Auxiliary Power Unit, “APU”. The APU helps wear and tear on the motor and also provides power to the driver to operate a microwave or whatever he/she may need. The growth of Brady Trucking in the Bakken will con nue as we ac vely seek new customers and new opportuni es arise every day for us to expand our capacity and footprint in the region. This is one of the most exci ng places to work; each day is a new challenge for our team. Page 6 Back in the Day — Part 1
Jennifer Brady
Many mes we have been asked how Brady Trucking got its start. To tell the whole story could probably fill a book. So, in each newsle er we would like to give you, the reader, a snippet of one point in me in the history of Brady Trucking. Larry began his trucking career at a young age and he says now that most of that me would be be er le alone. Suffice it to say that he was young, determined, and had an a tude that didn’t allow for defeat. This was good because life always has a way of teaching you through some pre y tough blows. Larry had some great assets that helped him get past the long hard years of his early trucking experience. His family was one such asset. More than once his parents and brother were there to help him when he was in a bind. He has o en said when seeing a homeless person just down on his luck, “That could easily have been me if it weren’t for my family.” He also had a few good friends that had been down the same paths that gave him encouragement. Larry recalls a conversa on with one such friend, Ted O of Ted O Trucking. At a me when Larry was discouraged and many people around him were telling him to give up, Ted told him, “Larry you are going to make it one day because you are just too stubborn to quit.” Larry says that it would help renew his determina on to succeed. His determina on and ability to outwork anyone was probably the biggest asset Larry had to help him through the difficult mes. His will and determina on to win at this game was like steel, unbendable. He wouldn’t allow himself to loose even if he was behind for a me. He always took the a tude to just work that much harder. And work hard he did. The tough early start Larry had prepared him to be able to lead Brady Trucking today. These were the years that shaped Larry’s opinions, a tudes, and values in running his business today. He holds true to these memories and tries his best to always treat his employees, customers, and associates with honesty and respect. He knows what it is like to be a driver and wants to make things the best he can for those who drive for him and to treat them honestly and fairly. He expects the best from others but always gives the best in return. He views his equipment the same way. He wants the best and will care for it. There is a no-tolerance policy at Brady Trucking for substandard equipment. He wants all around him to be successful and provides the best tools and opportuni es for that to happen. Never tell me the sky’s the limit when there are footprints on the moon. — Unknown THE
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Page 7 Our Mission Statement
DJ Hallowell Marketing and Business Development Manager
Brady Trucking will con nue to provide safe, dependable transporta on services, while consistently striving to provide our customers with the best value solu ons to meet their transporta on needs. Our mission statement is expressed in a way that takes into account the values that are important to Brady Trucking. The most important value is our company culture where the founda on is trust and there is a deep internal commitment to be part of a team that delivers excellence. It just so happened that recently I was delivering a value proposi on to a new customer. We discussed how Brady Trucking wants to differen ate ourselves in the marketplace and also be the preferred place to work. This customer was impressed by the following report: “We delivered 20,000 loads of sand to one of our customers and our passionate/posi ve truck drivers only had 3 minor incidents to report.” This is a very clear-cut report – but the story con nues: “With all these deliveries there were 20,000 invoices produced and we are proud to report less than ½ of 1% were disputed.” This is a very impressive tes mony that makes good our mission statement. (FYI – We are providing our transporta on services and con nue to meet their needs). Every employee has an influence on our company mission. Customer service is not a department, it is the en re company. As we con nue to provide excellence in transporta on, Brady Trucking is proud of our marke ng message: “From dispatch to our support staff and drivers, we do our very best to deliver the finest transporta on services and solu ons that you will ever experience. You and your business are our #1 priority.” DID YOU KNOW?????????? April 23, 1975 — Gerald R. Ford became the first President of the United States to visit an offshore oil pla orm when he came to Louisiana. His comment: “We just have to get more and more of these.” May 7, 1914—US Congress establishes Mother’s Day June 2, 1964 — Rolling Stones begin 1st US Tour Page 8 New Hire Training
Frank Lopez
Safety Director
We are rolling ahead with a New Hire Training Program. This program will help fast track a new hire into a more produc ve short service employee. It is tailored to meet the standards for OSHA, FMCSA, and NIOSH. Once comple on of the required regulatory training it will drive into the heart of what we do, with a major emphasis on the “Brady Way” of doing things, from loading and unloading, to using the QUALCOMM, to following our company standard opera ng procedures. The driving factor behind this is to take a new hire that knows nothing and get them to a point where they can safely and effec vely do the job, however the major key to the new hire success will s ll be each and every one of us helping them along as they grow in knowledge and confidence. Remember, we were all new at one point and had it not been for the great mentors that work here, we too would s ll be lost. A Driver
Dean Dunn
Williston, ND Driver
My first truck was a 1957 Apache when I was a young boy picking up peach tree pruning's on a small parcel in Colorado. I have always liked machinery from farm tractors to trucks , jeeps, and rock crawlers. Professionally driving I got my CDL in 2002 in Kellyville, OK for a certain frac company. My first truck was a cab over Pete boom truck then eventually the PCM mixer that pulled water, mixed chemical and pumped it to the blender and on down hole. Well, that just wasn't enough driving so I started hauling the frac water, and disposal water to the evapora on pits. Well, that just wasn't enough driving so when Obama shut down Colorado, I went coast to coast with a dry van. Since then I have driven acid, N2, flatbed, belly-dumps, oversize, diesel supply, and most recently a flatbed hauling recycle steel. I do like driving and I happened upon a company with newer Pete’s and working in the cold northern region of the Bakken ! I'm simply a driver trying to haul a few loads for Brady Trucking. THE
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Page 9 A Trucks Perspective
Dean Dunn
Driver Hey folks, my name is R.W. And I have been with Brady approximately 370,000 miles! I've been running pneuma c trailers mostly, some mes oversize but mostly the air trailers and lately its been strictly frac-sand, I suppose that is what is mostly in demand nowadays. I did run coast-to-coast for a period of me but right now I am assigned to the Williston, North Dakota division of Brady. I am not a typical, run -of-the mill worker! The shoes I wear right now are twice the width of all you others, and my power supply is not necessarily the favorite amongst most of the drivers. But you know what?! I get the job done without complaint and if something ever goes wrong with me the Brady mechanics are all over it and have the problem taken care of no ma er what the cost cuz we all got work to do and money to make. That is my purpose in life to deliver a product in a mely fashion, anywhere, any me I am called upon. Many companies neglect their equipment and do the bare minimum to keep them on the road. Brady has given us all the tools needed to keep us hauling loads, making money, and not only maintaining the opera onal func onality but our inward and outward appearance. My previous operator kept me immaculate and my current operator is trying to keep me clean as well. My interior is a sanctuary to get out of the oil-field smell and noise, it is in fact, a home to the driver. Why would you keep a house with mud and sand in it? They gave me an air nozzle, vacuum, and an invertor to run a fridge, microwave, toaster, coffee pot, hot plate, TV or whatever other convenience you can have in a regular RV. Why not keep it liveably clean. And the truck wash is great too, 10 below outside and well above freezing in the wash bay. A friend of mine also works in Williston, however he has nowhere to park, wash, or shower, kinda s nky but I guess he doesn't mind. We have it pre y good here at Brady. ~I am 880 “The Sand Commander” The winning name came from somebody that chooses to stay anonymous, so we drew a name from all the entries. The winner of the $200 is Larry Richbourg Page 10 Brady Trucking recognizes the sacrifice made by the families of our employees. We know that without their support we could not do our jobs with the high degree of quality our customers have come to know and expect. We want your families to know we appreciate them as much as we appreciate you! If you’ll let us, we want to send a small token of apprecia on to each member of your family on their special day! Employees Name _____________________________ Spouse’s name and DOB ________________________ Child’s name and DOB __________________________B____G___ Child’s name and DOB __________________________B____G___ Child’s name and DOB __________________________B____G___ Child’s name and DOB __________________________B____G___ Child’s name and DOB __________________________B____G___ Child’s name and DOB __________________________B____G___ *PLEASE RETURN COMPLETED FORM TO THE OFFICE! 1. Sacramento, CA 2. Madison, WI 3. Columbia, SC 4. Carson City, NV 5. Helena, MT 6. Topeka, KS 7. Montpelier, VT 8. Dover, DE 9. Columbus, OH 10. Charleston, WV Answers to Fractured State Capitals